How to Prepare your Mac for the macOS Sierra update

Apple’s new version of its operating system, macOS Sierra, is set to officially launch on September 20. It’ll be available for Mac owners all over the world to download, but there’s a few things you should keep in mind before updating your system. We’ll show you how to safely download the new operating system without running into any issues on September 20.

How to download macOS Sierra

Downloading macOS Sierra is as simple as ever. You can download the final release candidate right now through the Apple Beta Software Program, but if you don’t mind waiting for the official build, you’ll just download it as you would download an update for your current version of Mac. On September 20, all you’ll need to do is head into the App Store, click on the “Updates” tab, and you should see the macOS Sierra Software Update.

Backing up your system

But, before you download the software update, you’ll want to make sure your system is backed up into the cloud or on an external hard drive. If you have an external hard drive, it’s as simple as going into Settings > Time Machine and creating a new backup. If you keep Time Machine on all the time, you should have a daily, weekly or even monthly backup already available.

Creating a cloud backup is a little more difficult, as you’ll need to use iCloud, Carbonite, Crashplan or some other software to create a cloud-based backup. It’s worth the hassle, though. The cloud is usually a safe place to keep all of your stuff!

Don’t download macOS Sierra right away

This is a simple but extremely important tip: don’t download macOS Sierra the minute it comes out. After all, even final releases still have a ton of issues with it. A good example is the recent iOS 10 launch. Users began downloading it the minute it came out on September 13, but the software was actually bricking people’s phones. Apple ended up fixing the problem an hour or two after the rollout, but that’s still something you don’t want to deal with.

It’s best to give macOS Sierra at least a week before downloading it. No software is perfect, even the Windows 10 Anniversary Edition had plenty of issues when it first came out. Give macOS Sierra a week, see what the status is on it, and then choose to download it or not.

Closing

These are just a couple simple, but very important steps to avoiding any problems when downloading macOS Sierra next week. Always keep a backup of your system handy and make sure there aren’t any groundbreaking bugs before installing.

About The Author

Brad is the Editor-in-Chief of PCMech.com. He is an avid tech enthusiast who has been working in consumer technology for the past five years. He enjoys a wide range of technology, whether it be Android, iOS, Windows or Mac!